


Gold

by show_me_the_universe



Category: The Wicked Years Series - Gregory Maguire, Wicked - All Media Types, Wicked - Schwartz/Holzman
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Gelphie, Musicalverse, this is literally just an extension and elaboration on one short day and defying gravity
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-04
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-08-17 11:10:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16515245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/show_me_the_universe/pseuds/show_me_the_universe
Summary: She's in a city of green, but the only color she sees is gold. Golden opportunities, a golden future, and her beautiful golden Glinda.





	Gold

**Author's Note:**

> so like I haven't posted anything that establishes this, but I like to think that elphaba and glinda were nearly done with their education at Shiz when they went to the emerald city. so yeah. enjoy!

Elphaba couldn’t possibly have been happier. It was the final day of her senior year spring break, one last day in the Emerald City, all leading up to her meeting with the Wizard of Oz.

The entire city was emerald green, but the only color she could see was gold; beautiful, golden Glinda.

The sun bounced off her soft golden locks of hair that framed her face ever so beautifully.

Her yellow sundress seemed to shimmer in the afternoon light as she led Elphaba through the streets of the city to a tiny café.

Glinda’s smile was absolutely radiant, and she had been smiling practically nonstop since they arrived in the Emerald City. That perfect, beautiful, joyful smile… Elphaba decided that in this very moment, she couldn’t possibly be more in love with Glinda.

“Here you two go,” The waitress said as she brought them their drinks. “One iced caramel macchiato and one green tea.”

“I’ve been thinking, Elphaba…” Glinda said as she took a sip of her drink.

“What of, my dear?”

Glinda looked off into the distance, then laughed to herself. “I love it here. This city is everything I’d ever dreamed it would be, and I want to come back here someday, I want to stay.”

“Then stay. We graduate in just a few short months, and you’re well off enough to be able to afford a nice apartment here.”

“Are you going to be staying here?”

“I suppose it depends on how things go with the Wizard today, but ideally, yes, I’d live here until I get a residence of my own.”

“And if things don’t go as planned with the Wizard? Then what?”

“Go wherever the wind takes me, I suppose.” Elphaba looked around at the towering green buildings around her, then back at Glinda. “It would be nice to stay here, though. Everything is green, I blend right in. For the first time in my life, no one is judging me.”

“Well, wherever you go, I want to be with you. I love you, Elphaba.”

“Then let’s do it. I’ll talk today with the Wizard about an apprenticeship, and after we graduate we can move here together.”

Glinda smiled, “We’ll have our own apartment and a cat or two, you’ll be an apprentice to the Wizard and I might start up a small business just to get some extra money. It’ll be perfect, Elphie.”

“You’ve been studying magic too, Glinda, maybe the Wizard will mentor us both. We could be the greatest witches in all of Oz.”

“You really think I could be a witch of your status?”

“Of course I do. You have a talent for magic, and you’ve been studying almost as much as I do.”

“Wow, imagine us, a perfect team of witches, appointed by the Wizard himself…”

“That would be amazing, Glinda. Speaking of the Wizard,” she glanced at the clock, “We’d better get going, my meeting with him is soon.”

* * *

They sat next to each other in the relatively bland waiting room outside of the Wizard’s chambers.

“Are you ready?” Glinda asked, taking Elphaba’s hand.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” She took a deep breath. “It’s weird. I’m so nervous. I thought I would be more excited to make my life’s dream a reality, but I’m just terrified. All my life, I’ve been working towards this. What if it’s not everything I dreamed it would be? And what… what if he can’t help save the Animals? What will I do then?”

“Look, I’ve been your roommate for four years, I know how hard you’ve worked for this. From what I’ve heard, the Wizard of Oz is very kind; I don’t see why he wouldn’t offer you the apprenticeship and I don’t see why he wouldn’t help you save the Animals. You've got nothing to be afraid of. You’re the bravest person I’ve met; if anyone can do this, it’s you. And if it’s not all it’s cracked up to be, then I’ll be here for you. We have our backup plan, we’ll work this out.” Glinda kissed her slowly, softly, sweetly. “I believe in you.”

The door to the Wizard’s chamber opened. “The Wizard will see you now.”

“Good luck.” Glinda smiled.

“You’re not coming with?” Elphaba asked as she stood up.

“Do you… want me to?”

“Of course I do! You helped me become who I am today, Glinda, I would love to have you by my side.”

“Alright,” they held hands, their arms intertwined, “We’re off to see the Wizard.”

* * *

“Elphaba, why couldn’t you have stayed calm for once, instead of flying off the handle!”

Glinda was furious, and Elphaba knew it. But even in her anger, Elphaba realized, she was still beautiful. She knew that the last thing she should be thinking about after she betrayed the Wizard and pissed off her girlfriend was how gorgeous said girlfriend looked, but here she was, lost in those deep green eyes… so focused on that stupid, beautiful face that, right now, she didn’t know if she wanted to kiss or slap. Glinda, who had become so confident and outspoken in the past few years, didn’t even make an effort to stand up against the Wizard. She was so determined to make a good impression on him in hopes that she could further her own career in magic.

Focus. Your entire future is at stake here.

“I hope you’re happy, I hope you’re happy now. I hope you’re happy how you’ve hurt your cause forever, I hope you think you’re clever!”

“I hope you’re happy, I hope you’re happy too. I hope you’re proud of how you groveled in submission, to feed your own ambition.”

“And though I can’t imagine how…”

“I hope you’re happy, right now.”

This was it, Elphaba decided. The Wizard wasn’t going to help her, so it was time to break free, time to defy gravity. Animals has always been less, and that was something that she wasn’t supposed to be able to change, but until she tried to change it, she’d never know if it was possible. The limits set by others, it dawned on her, were meant to be broken.

She didn’t need any help to accomplish her goals. Although help would be appreciated, there was no way she was finding that help in the Wizard.

If the Wizard wouldn’t help to save the Animals, then she’d just have to do that on her own. Unless…

“Come with me,” she turned to Glinda, “Think of what we could do… together.”

Over their four years at Shiz together, they had formed an unbreakable bond. Together, they were unlimited. They could still accomplish their dreams of being the greatest witches in all of Oz, it would just be a bit… different. But as long as they were together, there was nothing that could stop them.

Together, they would defy gravity.

“Well?” Elphaba held out a shaky hand, “Are you coming?”

“Elphie, you’re trembling,” Glinda observed as she ran to fetch a cape that was lying on the floor. “Take this.” She carefully tied the cape around Elphaba’s neck, “And please, be safe.”

Elphaba looked at her wordlessly as it dawned on her what was happening.

Before stepping away, Glinda pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to Elphaba’s lips. “I hope you’re happy,” she said as she took a step back, a hand still gently caressing Elphaba’s face, “Now that you’re choosing this.”

“You too.” Elphaba sighed. “I hope it brings you bliss,”

“I really hope you get it,”

“And you don’t live to regret it…”

“I hope you’re happy in the end,” Glinda wiped a tear from Elphaba’s face with her thumb, knowing that this was not the time for tears.

“I hope you’re happy,” Elphaba pulled Glinda into a hug, “My friend.”

There was a pounding at the door. Elphaba knew the guards had arrived.

“Look,” Glinda said, “For the record, I don’t understand why you’re doing this, but you need to get out of here before they find you. We will meet again someday, I know we will. Good luck.”

“You too. I love you. I never said it enough, but I truly love you, from the bottom of my heart, Glinda Upland.”

“Open up!” A guard yelled.

“Get out.” Glinda said as Elphaba leapt on her broom and flew off.

Elphaba turned back to see the guards apprehending Glinda. She couldn’t ignore that; she had to help her only friend.

“Stop!” She shouted, “She has nothing to do with it! I’m the one you want!” She rose into the air on her broomstick, “So if you care to find me, look to the Western sky! As someone told me lately, everyone deserves the chance to fly, and if I’m flying solo, at least I’m flying free! To those who’d ground me, take a message back from me…”

She was literally defying gravity. Soaring through the sky above the Emerald City, she had never felt this free. As all of the city looked to her, she realized she was defying more than just gravity. She was the first person in anyone’s memory to turn against the incredible, the wise, the wonderful Wizard of Oz.

This moment, she could feel it, was where her life would begin to change.

And there was no going back, even if she wanted to.

“And nobody, in all of Oz, no wizard that there is or was, is ever gonna bring me down!”

Through the sea of green, one flash of glimmering gold caught her eye, and a voice tore through the crowd like a siren’s.

“I hope you’re happy!” Glinda cried as Elphaba soared higher into the sky.

Was leaving Glinda behind really worth it?

“Look at her, she’s wicked!” The crowd chanted. “Get her!”

“Bring me down!” Elphaba called, a challenge more than anything.

“No one mourns the wicked, so we have to bring her-”

Elphaba let out one last shout, both triumphant and defiant, almost like a battle cry.

“Down!”

 

Elphaba flew towards the setting sun, leaving the Emerald City- and Glinda- behind her.

 

This was her new start.

**Author's Note:**

> i'm writing an epilogue, it will make you sad, it should be up in a few days


End file.
